What About Today?

Do you ever find yourself consumed with plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or years down the road? Another of those difficult challenges in our life is being able to effectively serve today without becoming overly concerned about what is going to happen in the future. Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough worries of its own. James says:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. James 4:13-17

It doesn’t matter how old you are, we have all learned that time doesn’t wait for anyone. The days seem to move on more quickly the older we get. We wake up and ask, “Where did the past year go?” If we spend the present, planning and boasting about tomorrow we miss out on the opportunity today to serve at our greatest capacity. Our thoughts and energies are in the future instead of today. James calls that “sin”.

Our challenge is to get up each day and ask, “Lord, what is it that you would have me do today?” Then we have to follow through and be faithful to do what He lays on our heart to do.

Prayer: Thank you for the promise that You are the Lord of all our tomorrows. We commit ourselves to serve in the ways you have for us to serve today. Amen